Today, the companies Plinovodi, ELES, HSE and HESS have submitted an application to the European Innovation Fund for the Slovenian infrastructure project for green gas and the coalition of electricity and gas sectors – the so called SLOP2G Project
(Ljubljana, 29.10.2020) – On Thursday, 29th of October 2020 four Slovenian companies (Plinovodi, ELES, Holding Slovenske elektrarne (HSE) and Hidroelektrarne na spodnji Savi (HESS)), who have joined their knowledge, experience and views on the upcoming energy transition, have submitted a joint application for the SLOP2G Project. The project represents the first concrete step into a carbon-free society and an energy transition in the field of unifying the sectors for electricity and gas. The aforementioned companies, coordinated by the company Plinovodi, began preparing this application in 2019 and handed it in to the Innovation Fund today. The partners in this project estimate that the conceptualisation of the first such Slovenian project covers the high demands of the tender and at the same time hints at future developments within the Slovenian power industry.
What is this project really about? SLOP2G integrally links two energy locations where renewable electricity and the surplus of electricity in the system will be converted to green hydrogen which, through methanation, will be further converted into synthetic methane. On both locations, the green hydrogen and synthetic methane will be available for injection into the gas transmission network and for use by industrial and commercial users. The options for injections will be both in the form of green hydrogen through hydrogen pipelines or synthetic methane through gas lines. The project also envisions the establishing of optimization and simulation models for optimizing the sources of electricity needed to produce green hydrogen and the use of mixtures of hydrogen and synthetic gas with natural gas. The important part of the project is to establish a trading platform for renewable gases with certificates of origin for the green gas.
The first Slovenian green hydrogen project brings together key Slovenian companies in the field of managing transmission networks for gas and electricity and producers of electricity from various renewable sources. This, alongside a demonstrative introduction of the project for green electricity into green gas, actually represents the infrastructural intertwining of electricity and gas sectors that, besides the already recognised goals and benefits, will have a much larger impact. Green hydrogen is a connecting link and energy product for the transition into a carbon-free society as was declared by the European Union with the European Green Deal, the European strategy for hydrogen and the EU strategy for linking the energy system. The project also bears witness to the advancement and innovation of Slovenian companies when it comes to introducing new sustainable technologies and an active transition into a green society. As such it is an important starting point to making carbon-free industries, wide consumption, transport and more, a reality.
The project is supported by three Slovenian ministries; the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning and the Ministry of Defence.
The submission of the application was followed by statements from the directors of companies involved:
Marjan Eberlinc, General Manager of Plinovodi d.o.o.
“I’m glad that this joint initiative had given concrete results. We are aware that this application, despite its complexity and difficulty, is only the first step on a long journey. However, we are encouraged by the established spirit of cooperation between the sectors, joining and recognising the importance of our future work. I can say that this is already a test of our energy transition as the most demanding process for the power industry in the following decade.”
Aleksander Mervar, CEO of ELES d.o.o.
“ELES recognises in this project an important alternative to the existing approaches to long-term readiness for maintaining electricity surplus and optimizing the workings of interconnected energy systems. This project also represents a contribution to our considerable activities in the field of innovation on both domestic and international development and research projects.”
Bogdan Barbič, CEO of HESS d.o.o.
“The Slovenian power industry proves once again that through cooperation and networking we can come up with projects that bring benefits to the society, environment and the economy. To bring about the climate strategy, it is crucial to produce green energy and store it long-term. The multi-purpose projects by hydropower plants on lower Sava River are already proof that in Slovenia we can treat our water sources responsibly and by doing this develop the environment. This project of Slovenian green hydrogen is mostly an opportunity to showcase our hidden potential when reaching for energy excellence.”
Stojan Nikolić, M. Sc., CEO of HSE d.o.o.
“By active participation in the project we are significantly adding to the mosaic of our activity and at the same time strengthening our awareness of the importance of innovative approaches and solutions for the transition to a carbon-free society and climate neutrality. Last but not least, this is one of the important goals that the HSE company has set up for the time period ahead of us. A project such as SLOP2G also proves how much knowledge and experience the Slovenian power industry possesses and the heights we can reach if we bring all this knowledge and experience together.”